Replacing Jeremy Lin In Reality And Fantasy

Jake Ciely 05:42 pm, October 19th, 2017

How to Fill In for Jeremy Lin

Damn, the injury bug is no joke.

Add Jeremy Lin to the list of injured, as the Nets PG/SG is done for the season after rupturing his right patellar tendon in Wednesday’s season-opening loss to the Pacers. He joins Celtics SG/SF Gordon Hayward (fractured ankle/broken tibia) as those whose 2017-18 seasons came and went far too soon.

Lin had scored 18 points and added four assists in 25 minutes of work in the 140-131 loss to the Pacers. Granted, no one expects the Nets to look like Doug Moe’s Nuggets teams of the early 1980s, but the team showed a “let’s roll out the ball and ride like the wind for 48 minutes” style that will at least be entertaining for a team who will be overmatched on a nightly basis.

Look, I don’t/didn’t care about Lin’s hair because 1) it’s a mindless topic and 2) I don’t have any hair, so I can’t speak on what I don’t possess. So his hair was unique. Should we give him a cookie for being original? Come to think of it, considering that’s done for the season, why the hell not? Someone send me where Lin is having surgery and I’ll (seriously) send some over. However, it would help if I knew what his favorite brand is.

The Nets need more than a cookie or three to replace Lin. The best bet is that Allen Crabbe or Caris LeVert will fill in for him at the 2, with D’Angelo Russell -- who lit it up with 30 points and five helpers in his Brooklyn debut -- holding it down at the point. LaVert scored 12 on Wednesday night, but was just 5-for-15 from the field. He’s a pure scorer who also did some minor stat-stuffing (four assists, two boards, two steals) and considering his youth and upside, I’d say he’s the guy. Crabbe also scored 12 points and also grabbed seven rebounds, but he’s a better fit as a role player.

In a Fantasy sense, I’d look at Warriors SG/SF Nick Young, who looked happy as a Thanksgiving turkey getting a last-minute reprieve during his 23-point outing on Tuesday. He’ll see fewer minutes than Lin would have played, yet will offer scoring and a handful of assists along with getting the occasional start when Steve Kerr wants to give Steph Curry or Klay Thompson a night off. Take a look at Grizzlies SF Dillon Brooks, who scored 19 points with five boards, four steals and two blocks on Wednesday. Brooks is buried deep in most Fantasy Hoops waiver wires and should see a healthy block of minutes as Memphis’ SF depth is thin.

More Hoops Thoughts

Don’t laugh, but Marco Belinelli’s 20-point night on Wednesday might be the sign of a possible career year. The Hawks lack scoring options, so someone has to score outside of Dennis Schroder, right? Belinelli did his work in 26 minutes, which is good range for him. Like Brooks, he’s getting very little Fantasy love (your thoughts on “Fantasy love” aren’t welcomed here, although I hear Ted Cruz may be able to help on that subject), so he’s a low-risk, high-reward option in replacing Lin.